Acetylene-gas generator.



G. W. BECK.

AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1907.

Patented July 30, 1912.

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INVENTOI? ATTORNEY G. W. BECK.

AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

I APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 4, 1907. 1,033,862.

Patented July 30, 1912.

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0. W. BECK.

AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 4, 1907.

Patented July 30, 1912.

WITNESJSES 6. flyu m w nz ww V ATTORNEY TINTTED STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

I CHARLES W. BECK, OF ROCKVILLE CENTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 OXWELD AGETYLENE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jul 30,1912.

Application filed November 4, 1907. Serial No. 400,480.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLns BECK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockville Center, in the county of Nassau and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene-Gas Generators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the generator; Fig. 2 a central vertical sectional view of the carbid holder and feed mechanism; Fig. 3 a detail plan view of the valve lifting-lever; Fig. 4 a side elevation of the feed valve protector; Fig. 5 a horizontal sectional view on the line V-V of Fig. 4:; Fig. 6 a plan view of the clamping ring for connecting the carbid holder to the water tank; Fig. 7 a vertical sectional view of the valve protector; Fig. 8 a I similar view of another form of valve protector; Fig. 9 a detail view of a part of the device shown in Fig. 8; Figs. 10 and 11 detail sectional views showing difierent forms of diaphragms secured to the lower end of the valve protecting casing; Fig. 12 a detail sectional view of a modified means for pro tecting the valve and agitating the water below said valve; and Fig. 13 a detail plan view of the means for detachably connecting the feed plunger to the water agitating diaphragm.

Heretofore it has been impossible to use a carbid feed acetylene gas generator on road vehicles because of the violent agitation of the water in the water holder and the consequent splashing up to the feed mechanism and through the feed opening in the carbid holder during the operation of feeding carbid.

It is the main object of this invention to so protect the carbid feed mechanism that it will be free to properly operate without any danger of the Water splashing through the feed opening or up to the feed valve. I accomplish this by providing a protected Water compartment in the water holder to receive the carbid as it is fed. This compartment is formed with a movable or flexible wall, whereby the movement of said wall, either in response to the movements of the feed valve, or the agitation of the main body of water, will cause sludge in said means of straps 3. tank or holder is a carbid holder 4, said protected compartment to flow into the main body of water, so that a comparatively fresh body of water will receive each charge of carbid.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, 1 designates the water tank or holder which as shown in Fig. 1 is cylindrical so that it may be readily secured to a running board or step 2 of a vehicle by Connected to the water holder being connected to the water tank by means of a clamp ring 5 which will be more fully hereinafter described.

The upper part of the water holder 1 is formed with an upward extending cylindrical part 6 which carries at its upper end an outwardly extending flange 6 inclined on its lower side to form the cam sur- Within the contracted part 8 is secured a valve-carrying cup 9 which carries an annular or ring-like valve seat 10 at its upper end and is provided with a gasket 11 which is adapted to fit closely against an annular shoulder 12 to form a gas-tight joint. It is also provided near its lower end with two diametrically opposite slots 13 and cam surfaces 14:; and the contracted portion of the carbid holder is provided with two studs 15. These slots, cam surfaces and studs serve as a bayonet joint by which the two parts are secured together. The object of providing the removable valve-carrying cup is to permit of the removal of the valve seat when it is desired to invert and fill the carbid holder.

Secured across the top of the carbid holder is a flexible, preferably rubber, diaphragm 16 which forms a gas-tight wall. A protecting plate 17 is secured above the diaphragm; and to this plate is secured an arch part 18 which carries a pressure regulator 19. This pressure regulator may be of any suitable form and will not be further described herein. Gas passes out through the filter 19 and pipe 19 to the pressure regulator and thence out through pipe 19 to the burners.

To the center of the diaphragm 16 is secured a valve 20 formed of an upper hollow cylindrical part or valve rod 20 and the lower valve part 21 connected to the lower end of the part 20 by means of a short reduced shank 22. Both parts of the Valve are substantially of the same diameter and are adapted to fit closely Within the main valve seat 10 and to close the same, the upper part or rod serving to close the said ring when the gas is exhausted from the holder, the lower part being adapted to close said ring when the diaphragm is raised. Garb'id will be fed from the carbid holder to the water holder whenever the valve is in a position intermediate between its upper and lower positions, the reduced shank 22 permitting the carbid to pass between the upper and lower valve parts 20 and 21. The lower end of the tubular valve part 20 is sealed by the plug 23 to prevent gas passing into it. Near the upper end of the valve rod 20 flanges 24 and 25 are provided to clamp the diaphragm to said rod. The upper end of the rod 20 extends a suitable distance above the diaphragm and is open to the atmosphere. It will be readily seen that because of the open upper end of the valve rod said rod below the diaphragi'n must be gas tight in order to prevent the escape of gas from the holder. Within the valve rod is arranged a coil spring 26 whose lower end is closed by a bar 27, or other suitable means. The upper end of this spring is rigidly connected to the upper end of the valve rod or to a collar 28 which rests upon the upper end of said rod. Depending from the regulator is a rigid rod 29 whose lower end engages the cross-bar 27 or other closure means at the lower end of the spring, and normally holds the diaphragm l6 depressed, and the valve part 20 seated in the valve ring.

The tubular par-e20 of the valve is of a uniform diameter within the carbid holder. The object of this is to provide a valve which will reciprocate readily through the carbid and which will not require a housing to protect it from the carbid. By locating the spring 26 and the guiding means 29 within the tubular valve and closing said valve to prevent access of gas to the interior thereof the guiding means and the spring will be thoroughly protected from the moisture and dust and lime carried by the gas. This is of great importance. The spring and the guiding means will be clean at all times. 7

To manually raise the valve 29 I provide a controlling lever 30 and the operating screw 31. The lever is formed with arms 32 which engage pins 33 carried by the up per part of the tubular valve rod.

Pivoted to the free end of one section is a clampinglever 35 and connecting said lever to the free end of the other section is a link 36. The sections of the ring are provided with lugs 37 which are adapted to engage the cam surface 7 to draw the upper member of the generator down on flange 6 a gasket 38 being interposed between the said flange and'the upper member of the generator. A spring 89 extends across the hinge 34 and normally tends to open the clamping ring.

To the lower end of the valve-carrying cup 9 is detachably connected a depending open-ended cylinder 40 which forms a protector or shield, and is secured to the said cup by means of slots 41, pins 42 carried by the valve cup, and hooks 43 which engage the pins and prevent accidental disconnection of the cylinder from the cup. The lower end of this protector or shield is formed with depending pins 44 formed with shoulders 45 which engage the lower end of the shield; Secured on these pins is a circular flexible, preferably rubber, diaphragm 46. This diaphragm is curved or dished so that it will normally curve or bow upwardly as shown in Figs. 4 and 7. The diaphragm near is periphery is perforated to receive the pins 44, and cotter pins 47 are passed through the pins 44 below the diaphragm to hold it in place. or shoulders 45 on the pins prevent the diaphragm from fitting closely against the lower end of the shield, thereby insuring an open space between the diaphragm and the shield through which water may flow. Se cured to the center of this diaphragm is an upwardly extending tube 48 which is open at its lower end and closed at its upper end. This tube carries at its upper end a socket 49 having an angular opening 50 which is adapted to pass up over an angular head 51 secured to the bottom of the feed valve 21. When the shield 40 is slight-1y rotated to cause the pins 42 to lock in the slots 41 the socket 49 will be rotated sufficiently to cause it to interlock with the head 51. It will thus be seen that the tube 48 and the diaphragm 46 will have a movement corresponding to the movement of the feed valve and that when said valve is depressed to feed carbid the diaphragm will be correspondingly depressed, thereby forming a protected water compartment in conjunction with the shield 40, and into which carbid will be dropped. Upon the generation of gas the feed valve will be raised and with it the diaphragm, thereby forcing the water from the protected compartment under the lower edge of the shield. It is evident that the small quantity of Water inclosed within the protected compartment The heads will not be sufliciently agitated under any conditions of vehicle travel to cause it to splash upward to the feed mechanism. The vibration of the diaphragm will insure the circulation of water in the protected compartment and prevent the accumulation therein of lime and sludge.

To the lower edge of the shield 40 is connected a depending bail 52, and to the center of this bail is secured an upwardly extending angular guide rod 53 which enters the tube .8 and acts as a guide for the tube and the diaphragm. Between the upper end of this guide and the closed upper end of the tube is provided a coil spring 56L which normally forces the tube and the diaphragm upward, and serves to keep the socket 49 in close contact with the valve 21 for the purpose of conveniently engaging the socket 4:9 with part 51 when inserting the filler cup 8 after filling the lamp with carbid. It will thus be seen that when the feed valve is depressed the diaphragm is also depressed, and water will flow under the shield into the protected compartment, and a sufficient amount of water will be present to receive the carbid dropped by the feed valve; and that this water will be caused to flow back into the main body of water when the feed valve and diaphragm are raised by the gas. The submerged diaphragm 46 serves as a means for moving or agitating the water.

In Fig. 8 of the drawings is shown a slightly modified form of the invention. In this construction a cross-bar 55 is connected to the lower end of the tube 48*, the ends of said bar working vertically in slots 56 in the shield 57. The shield in this instance is formed as an integral part of the valvecarrying cup 9 Pivoted in the lower end of this shield is a two-part diaphragm formed of two doors 58 which, when in horizontal position, close the lower end of the shield and form a protected compartment into which carbid is dropped. These doors are provided with outwardly extending pro jections 59 which are connected to the ends of the cross-bar by links 60, said links being on the outer side of the shield. It will be readily seen that when the feed valve is raised by gas pressure, the doors are opened downwardly and the water and sludge in the protected compartment will be discharged, and that when the valve moves downward to feed carbid the doors will be brought to a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 8 to form a protected compartment.

In Fig. 10 a flexible rubber diaphragm 61 is shown as connected to the lower end of a shied. 40 by means of headed pins 14 similar to the pins shown in Fig. 7. 'By this means the diaphragm is held slightly below the lower edge of the shield so that the interior of the shield will be in communication with the main body of water through a narrow opening. In this form of the device the agitation of the water within the water holder will flex the diaphragm and cause a circulation of water through the protected compartment, but will not be suflicient to cause the water to splash up to the feed mechanism.

In Fig. 11 a diaphragm 61 is shown similar to the diaphragm shown in Fig. 10 with the exception that said diaphragm is perforated to assist in the circulation of water through the diaphragm, but at the same time preventing any splashing of the water in the compartment.

In Fig. 12 a water agitating disk v62 is connected to the lower end of a tube 48 and said tube is connected to the feed valve by means of a socket 4L9 and projection 51 similar to that shown in Figs. 7 and 13. The disk is reciproeated by the valve during the feeding operation, and as said disk is normally below the water level. it will cause a movement of the water directly below the feed valve. In this form of the device the valve-carrying cup 9* is preferably provided with an integral downwardly projecting extension 9, which, as shown, extends slightly below the water level. The disk 62, because of its proximity to the lower end of the extension 9 prevents the water from splashing into the valve-carrying cup; and by its movement prevents the carbid and lime and dust carried by the carbid from accumulating on the top of the water and forming what is known as a floating island. The formation of these islands in acetylene gas generators is a very serious difficulty. They receive and hold the carbid with the result that the generation of gas is not instantaneous, as it should be, and that when these islands are finally submerged too much gas is generated. The re sult of this is excessive heat and excessive pressure in the generator. When the carbid feeding means is controlled by the gas generated it is necessary that the feed be stopped the instant enough carbid is dropped to generate gas sufficient to operate the feed mechanism. The generation of gas, therefore, must be practically simultaneous with the feeding of carbid or excessive pressures will be generated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

1. In a carbid feed acetylene gas generator a feed means, a depending valve shield or protector and asubmerged vibratory diaphragm connected to the feed means.

2. In a carbid feed acetylene gas generator a depending valve shield or protector extending below the water level, a vibratory diaphragm at the lower end of said protector, and means connecting said diaphragm to the feed means, whereby the diaphragm will be vibrated with the feed means to cause a circulation of water in the lower end of the protector.

3. A carbid feed acetylene gas generator comprising a feed valve, a shield or protector therefor extending below the water level, a diaphragm near the lower end of said shield, and means connecting said diaphragm to the feed valve.

4:. A carbid feed acetylene gas generator comprising a feed valve and a flexible vibra- 3 tory diaphragm connected thereto and located below the water level.

5. A carbid feed acetylene gas generator comprising a feed valve, a depending valve protector extending into the water, a flexible diaphragm connected to the lower end of said protector and spaced a suitable distance therefrom, whereby there will be a small body of water within the protector in open communication with the body of water in the water holder.

6. A carbid feed acetylene gas generator comprising a feed valve, a depending annular shield or protector whose lower end extends slightly below the water level, a flexible diaphragm connected to the lower end of said shield, and spaced away from the lower edge thereof, and means for connecting said flexible diaphragm to the feed valve.

7. A carbid feed acetylene gas generator comprising a feed valve, a detachable valve seat, a depending valve protector extending below the water level and adapted to be removed with the valve seat, a diaphragm carried by said valve shield at its lower end and means\for connecting said diaphragm to the valve.

8. A carbid feed acetylene gas generator comprising a feed valve, a removable filler cup carrying the feed valve seat, a depending valve protector carried by said filler cup and extending below the water level, and a flexible diaphragm carried by said protector near its lower end.

9. A carbid feed acetylene gas generator comprising a feed valve, a removable depending shield or protector therefor extending below the water level, and a flexible diaphragm connected to the lower end of said protector.

10. A carbid feed acetylene gas generator comprising a feed valve, a removable depending shield or protector therefor extending below the water level, a flexible diaphragm connected to the lower end of said protector, and means for spacing the diaphragm below the lower edge of the protector.

11. A carbid feed acetylene gas generator protector, and means for connecting the diaphragm to the feed valve.

12. A carbid feed acetylene gas generator comprising a feed valve, a removable de- 5 pending shield or protector therefor extending below the water level, a flexible dia- I phragm connected to the lower end of said protector, means for spacing the diaphragm below the lower edge of the protector, and means for detachably connect-ing the diaphragm to the feed valve.

13. A carbid feed acetylene gas generator comprising a feed valve, a tubular valve protector extending below the water level, a flexible diaphragm at the lower end of said shield and forming the bottom of the protector, means for connecting said diaphragm to the feed valve, and a guiding means for said diaphragm.

lt. A carbid feed acetylene gas generator comprising a feed valve, a removable filler cup carrying a valve seat, a depending 'tubular shield or protector extending below the water level, a flexible rubber diaphragm forming the bottom of said protector, means for spacing said diaphragm away from the lower edge of the shield, whereby an inclosed water compartment is formed which is in communication with the body of water in the water holder, means for connecting said diaphragm to the feed valve, and a rigid guide for the center of the diaphragm. 15. A carbid feed acetylene gas generator comprising a water holder, a carbid holder,

means for detachably connecting the two parts together, a feed valve,a removable filler cup carrying the feed valve seat, and a tubular valve protector extending below the water level, and a diaphragm near the lower end of said protector.

16. A carbid feed acetylene gas generator comprising a water holder, a carbid holder, means for detachably connecting the two parts together, a feed valve, a removable filler cup carrying the feed valve seat and a tubular valve protector extending below the water level, a diaphragm near the lower end of said protector, andmeans for connecting the diaphragm to the feed valve.-

17. A carbid feed acetylene gas generator comprising a water holder, a carbid holder, means for detachably connecting said parts together, a feed valve, a removable valve phragm will be vibrated through the move ment of the feed valve.

18. A carbid feed acetylene gas generator comprising a carbid holder, a water holder,

means for detachably connecting said holders together, a depending tubular shield carried by and removable with the carbid holder, a diaphragm forming the bottom of said shield and spaced a suitable distance below the lower edge thereof, whereby the interior of the shield will be in open communication with the main body of the water holder.

19. A carbid feed acetylene gas generator comprising a water holder, a carbid holder, a feed valve means actuated by gas pressure to operate said valve, a movable diaphragm directly below the feeding means, means connected to said diaphragm at its outer edge to support it, and means connected to the center of said diaphragm to move said diaphragm vertically simultaneously with the movements of the feed valve, whereby the diaphragm will have its greatest movement at its center.

20. A carbid feed acetylene gas generator comprising a feed valve, a removable filler cup carrying a valve seat and provided with a depending valve shield or protector, a diaphragm at the lower end of said shield below the normal water level and means for connecting said diaphragm to the feed valve.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses this 2nd day of November 1907.

CHARLES W. BECK.

Witnesses:

WM. R. DAvIs, EMMA H. H. KAUFMANN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

